Tag Archives: whale

When it comes to sea creatures, we can think of some real characters. Dolphins can be hilarious. Sea Otters can be quite mischievous. Sea Lions can be real pranksters. But there is almost no animal in the sea more inquisitive, more willing to accept human contact than a Beluga whale. They are smart. They are playful. They are curious about people. That curiosity and friendliness can make for some really interesting stories. It can also lead to tragedy. Read on for more…

Why Do Beluga Whales Blow Bubbles?
It has been known for a long time that Belugas engage in whimsical behavior, and bubble blowing is the best example. Researchers wanted to know why the whales did it, and spend 8 years trying to find out. Their conclusions: Belugas love to play. They make their own toys (bubble rings) and swim through them like hoops. Why do they play? To engage with the world and express their own personality. In essence, they are curious about the world and play helps them learn.

Researchers record Arctic Ocean belugas diving to depths of nearly 3,000 feet
Belugas aren’t all about play, though. When the need strikes, and when they are in serious hunt mode, the intelligent whales disregard the bubble blowing for more extreme ventures, like deep sea diving. They feed on salmon, crab, shrimp, squid, clams and small schooling fish such as herring, capelin, smelt and cod, and sometimes to get to their prey, Belugas descend to depths of 900 meters — or more than 2,950 feet.

Mackenzie Delta beluga research shows preference for less ice
Global warming might not be something you believe in, but Belugas do. And they seem to be benefitting from the loss of ice as a result. During the 2012 ice breakup, researchers counted 755 beluga whales. By contrast, 2013 had “heavy” ice conditions. Researchers counted 413 belugas but they mostly spotted the mammals in areas of open ice. In addition to a preference to open water, researchers found more belugas close to the ice edge rather than further offshore. Scientists are not sure what all of this means just yet, but it does point to a change in behavior due to habitat loss.

Why a Newfoundland village is afraid for this friendly beluga whale
Not all of these stories are happy. The fact is, with the curiosity of this special species, and the loss of habitat, and the abundance of boat traffic in the waterways, cases of Beluga deaths are on the rise. That scares the residents of Admiral’s Beach, Newfoundland. “Billy” the Beluga has been hanging around the village, making friends with the locals by coming right up to boats and letting the people rub his belly. While it’s endearing, the behavior is not natural, and residents are afraid their new friend will get hurt by a boat.

Every day we see the stories. Whales and turtles and other innocent wild animals in the ocean entangled, entrapped, and encumbered by our carelessness. Nets and fishing line and crab pot ropes are the major culprit. Plastic is another major offender. Beached whales are found with tons of undigested rubbish in their stomachs. One died as a result of a CD jewel case wedged in its blowhole. The numbers are depressing. According to the National Marine Fisheries Service, there were 30 unique reports of whale entanglements in 2014 off the West Coast, and despite the best efforts of some brave rescuers, the fates of most were unknown. Something needs to be done before we choke the oceans completely. Here are some good places to start.

File this in the ‘best idea we’ve seen this year’ category. Here’s the gist: a beer brewing company decided to do something about the problem of 6-pack rings. You see, these plastic prisons are the bane of the oceans. One famous picture shows a sea turtle that had been trapped in one of the rings. It must have happened when the turtle was younger and smaller. As the turtle grew, the plastic became a noose around its back, resulting in a deformed and sad-looking little guy. Saltwater Brewery wanted to do their part, so they devised a plan to repurpose the byproducts of the brewing process into a safe, edible substitute for the plastic ring. The result is nothing less than amazing. We’d love to see this technique extended across all industries manufacturing plastic that might end up in the oceans.

Another scourge of the seas are plastic water bottles. It’s both amazing and disheartening just how many of these things are out there, in the environment, clogging up our waterways. Did you know they can take up to 1,000 years to fully decompose? That’s unconscionable. We have to do better, and we have. Actually, Icelandic product designer Ari Jónsson has. He’s developed a design for a better water bottle, one that’s made out of biodegradable algae and decomposes in a matter of weeks. Added bonus: it’s actually edible!

Fishing nets can be devastating to sea life, and many times when a net is lost it is never recovered, only to keep on ‘ghost fishing’ for years and years, capturing sea life and condemning it to a terrible death. Now, thanks to the inventive mind of Alejandro Plasencia, a Barcelona, Spain–based product engineer, the days of ghost fishing may be numbered. Plasencia’s idea is twofold. First, fishing nets are coated with a substance that allows it to break down in the environment after four years. Second, the net is lined with tiny RFID transmitters, so that when it is lost in the first place, it can be recovered instead of just letting it go on its campaign of terror.

Other Sensible approaches:

It’s encouraging to see there are people waking up to the problem of wildlife entanglement, and even more encouraging to see these people are willing to do something about it. The California fishing industry has begun addressing it through the industry-led retrieval of lost crab pots, better gear marking and limits on the number of traps set. Other measures addressing entanglements have included fishery closures in areas where whales are feeding, lines that are designed to break away when a pot or trap catches on a whale, and reducing the number of vertical lines in the water.

Drones. Just say the word and you’ll get a mixed bag of reactions all the way from piqued interest to outright hostility. Who knew how much controversy a little quadcopter could generate? No one could have foreseen how much fun, and how much trouble, the small remote controlled airborne devices would be. Drones are rife with controversy. Is it just a case of stupid people doing stupid things, or are there more sinister agendas at work? Check out these recent news stories about drones and judge for yourself whether or not they are the scourge of mankind.

Drones becoming ‘a real threat’ to B.C.’s whales, say tour operators
Whale-watching guides in Canada’s British Columbia are worried. They say drones are hovering too close to the protected southern resident pod of killer whales as well as other species. Low-flying drones, they claim, are loud, and amateur pilots risk unintentionally striking the whales. They fear that someone with not much piloting experience will cause a drone to scare, harass, or even crash onto the whales. Has it happened before? Has there been a recorded close call? Scientists with permits to fly drones closer than the 250 meter limit say their drone doesn’t bother the whales at a distance of 100 feet, so it’s unclear what the real problem is here. It is agreed that drone pilots who want to fly over whales and other wildlife should be trained especially for that activity.

Amazing video shows Australian man drone fishing for tuna
Oh, no. Here we go. Two men down under have found a way to make their drone hobby pay off—big time. Watch the video and you’ll see it. They use a drone to locate a school of tuna, then drop their baited line right down on top of the fish. Next, after the tuna strikes the hook, a guy on the beach reels it in. Now, is it cheating? Purists would say yes. Technical experts say that since the line was reeled in by hand, it’s legal. We can see years of controversy over this one, and a whole set of new regulations coming as well.

Man claims his drone captured ‘UFO travelling at almost 200mph’ in dive towards the sea
A man in La Serena, Chile captured some footage with a quadcopter that might just be proof that alien life is visiting us. Watch the video in the linked page and see for yourself. The object is almost too small to see, and it’s moving so fast that it cannot possibly be anything manmade…or is it? One big problem with this footage is that there is no way to gauge the scale. The object might be as small as a golf ball or as large as a cruise liner. The other anomaly is that, as soon as the object appears, the waves on the ocean stop moving. Is this a still frame that someone added special effects to? The world might never know.

Drone video shows false killer whales hunting down a shark
This spectacular footage could never have been possible if not for the use of a remote controlled quadcopter. Bruno Kataoka, not a licensed scientist, was able to capture some rare and even scientifically valuable video over the waters of Sydney, Australia. A pod of false killer whales can be seen pursuing and finally capturing a shark in this dramatic and unusual video.

Incredible drone footage as 70 huge tiger sharks tear apart a dead whale in crystal clear water off the Australian coastTiger sharks are thought to be some of the most dangerous of all the large apex predators, though many divers will tell you otherwise. Regardless, they are big and strong and can put on quite a show when, say, over 70 of them gather in crystal clear water to feast on a gigantic whale carcass. That’s what the fortunate folks who happened to be there in Western Australia when it all went down. Lucky for us, they had a quadcopter and captured the whole gruesome yet fascinating event.

Some things are just not explainable. Unless you are one of the intrepid outdoor warriors that live for adrenaline, you might not understand why people do the things they do. Why take what might seem to be unreasonable risks? This is what comes to most people’s minds when they see the following stories about adventurers who struck out to cross vast stretches of sea in questionable vessels. Who are these people and what drives them to these extremes? Read on and maybe get the answer…

Man to Travel in ‘Ocean Bubble’ From South Florida to Puerto Rico

You might say Reza Baluchi is a dreamer. Some may say he is a danger to himself and others. Whatever the case may be, Baluchi is determined to “walk” across part of the Atlantic Ocean in what some may call a glorified Zorb Ball. He’s tried it before, and with predictably bad results. This time he plans of making his “Ocean Bubble” more durable for the trip, which is all for a good cause: raising awareness and money for children in need.

Popsicle-stick boat to sail the Atlantic

15 million. That’s the answer to one doozy of a trivia question: How many popsicle sticks does it take to make a replica Viking ship that can cross an ocean? In 2005 Capt. Rob McDonald and a team of volunteers built a 45-foot replica Viking longboat from 15 million ice cream sticks and 1.5 tons of waterproof glue. After announcing that he wanted to take the boat on an Atlantic crossing, he received applications from over 90,000 brave souls who wished to take the journey with him. In 2007, the vessel set sail for England from the Netherlands for a test run. However, after that the internet trail runs dry and there’s not much information on whether or not McDonald’s voyage was a success.

Man plans to sail 3,000 miles across the Atlantic in a 65-ft homemade steel whale-shaped boat

Call it an obsession, just like Captain Ahab. Moby, in the book, was a white Sperm Whale who was the bane of Ahab’s existence. Moby, in this story, is a 65 foot, 62 ton, 100,000 dollar steel boat in the shape of a friendly whale. The mastermind behind the project, former SAS trooper Tom McClean has spent 20 years constructing the vessel, and soon plans to embark upon a 3,000 mile journey across the Atlantic in it.

First Scrap Raft to Cross the North Atlantic Ocean

The Floating Neutrinos is a group of like-minded conservationists who came up with a big dream: to be the first to cross the Atlantic on a raft built out of nothing but scrap. Built in 1992, their first craft was called the Son of Town Hall, a fifty foot, self-righting, self-steering under sail, unsinkable raft constructed out of scrap from the streets of New York City. In June of 1998 the raft departed Fermeuse, Newfoundland and, 60 days later, arrived in Castletownbere, Ireland. From there it cruised to France, first arriving at Brest, then through the Channel to Cherbourg and LeHavre, up the Seine River to Paris and into the canal system down the Rhone River to Port St. Louis and the Mediterranean Sea.

Kayakers are a different breed. Something about all that time spent on the water, paddling through the waves, communing with nature makes them so strange in their ways. In order to truly understand kayak people and their interesting customs, one needs to connect with the tribe, get a kayak, and become one of them. Short of that, we non-kayakers have only videos, firsthand witness accounts, and vague rumors to go on. But go on we must, for kayak people hold the key to the secret of happiness. You can see it in their infectious smiles and hear it in their unique language. At USIA, we are in awe of kayak people and their customs, and we endeavor to understand them more. To that end, here are some pretty recent, pretty crazy kayak stories.

Woman yells ‘bear don’t eat my kayak’ while bear eats kayak
Who hasn’t had this problem at least once in their lives? You go on an extended kayaking trip in Alaska and one day while minding your own business a very large bear decided to go all Goldilocks on your ride. From the video, it is glaringly clear that the bear wasn’t going anywhere without a snack. And the owner of the kayak wasn’t giving it up without a fight. The score at the end: Bear 1, Kayak Zero. As for the Kayaker, she had to swim the next leg of her journey.

Kayaker Fends Off Aggressive Hammerhead Shark Near Santa Barbara Coast
So what’s more terrifying, a bear attacking your kayak, or a hammerhead shark circling your kayak? I have to go with door number two on this one. Imagine being this guy. A hammerhead shark comes out of nowhere and is suddenly interested in you. Very interested. So interested that it starts ramming and biting your watercraft, trying to make you fall into the water. What gives? Hammerheads are supposed to leave people alone, and they sure aren’t supposed to be that far north.

Humpback whale nearly crushes kayakers
When this first surfaced on social media, the condemnation poured forth like a two ton whale. The video of the event is nothing less than stunning. From the angle the video was shot, it appears as if the people in the kayak were fatally smashed by the herculean whale. But the paddlers came out of it without a scrape. Well, not entirely. Social media backlash shot around the world, with people saying the kayakers should have been arrested for being so close to the whale.

Dramatic kayak escape caught on camera after boat splits in two on raging river
Recently in Ireland, a local scout group is garnering praise for their timely and brave rescue of two kayakers who found themselves fighting for their lives. Their kayak became caught in dangerous flood waters and subsequently crashed against a bridge. The collision resulted in the kayak being split in two, making for a harrowing scene. Luckily, a group of Dublin scouts were on hand to lend a hand.

Technology. It’s great, isn’t it? With technology we now have self-parking cars, refrigerators that tell us when the milk is getting low, and even chairs that build themselves. And one of the most revered technology, used by countless people from all walks of life, is GPS. Who doesn’t love GPS, unless it steers you the wrong way down a one-way street? You’d probably have to scour a cave in Zambia somewhere to find a person who has never heard of GPS. Everyone loves GPS, right? Not everyone. Soon, Great White Sharks will hate GPS for very good reason. Why? Researchers have just released a cellphone app that will allow people like you and me to track the great fish everywhere they go. Although many people might think this is a good thing for sharks, I believe the exact opposite. Here’s why…

Just days after the announcement by marine biologists that the general public will soon be able to track Great Whites in near real time, another story emerged, this one with ominous implications. A man from New Jersey was convicted of shooting a beluga whale in the head, causing its death from a massive infection. The motive for the attack: competition for fish. It turns out that beluga whales have a taste for tuna, the same target that the fisherman was going after.

Competition for fish is causing all kinds of conflict between humans and animals. Here in Oregon, we have sea lions and cormorants eating “too many” salmon and steelhead. The solution offered by the Army Corps of Engineers: kill them. The non-lethal efforts have failed, say authorities. Death is the answer.

And death seems to be the answer in Australia, where the panic alarms have been ringing for the last two years as shark attacks have seemingly exploded. They haven’t really exploded. The numbers of attacks are still staggeringly low compared to how many millions of people go into the ocean waters every day. Still, Australian authorities have implemented a catch and kill policy for any large shark that comes near the more popular beaches. With so much wanton killing going on, can you see where I am heading?

My thoughts on the subject are dark. I believe that it will be only a matter of time until someone like our convicted tuna fisher to decides to take the law into his own hands. I believe that eventually some vigilante fisherman with a gun and a gps enabled phone will hunt down a great white and kill it, all in the name of saving human lives.

I might very well be wrong. I hope I’m wrong. However, with all of the shark hysteria in the media lately, it seems likely that I’m correct. There are a lot of stupid people out there, just itching to make a name for themselves. Let’s hope that they are too dumb to use GPS.